Why Government Intervention is Needed to Protect Academic Freedom

Nationalism and the Culture Wars podcast

The Department for Education has announced tougher legal measures in order to, as it claims, to strengthen free speech and academic freedom at universities in England. Under the plans, the Education Secretary would appoint a new Free Speech and Academic Freedom Champion to investigate potential infringements, such as no-platforming speakers or dismissal of academics, and higher education providers would be legally required to actively promote free speech. The new Champion would be appointed to the board of the Office for Students and would be able to investigate potential infringements of the new registration condition on freedom of speech and academic freedom in higher education. The registration condition would work alongside strengthened legal duties on free speech and academic freedom and the Champion would also be able to recommend that the Office for Students imposes fines. But, will this work? Is it desirable or even necessary? What is the nature and scope to the threats to free speech and academic freedom today? Instead of enforcing free speech via legislature, should the government encourage people to engage with the subject of free speech? Or, are these new proposals, themselves, impositions on freedom of speech? Can you really legislate your way to free speech? Or perhaps, will it be beneficial to have a neutral arbitrator to settle free speech disputes on campus? Join Free Speech Champions at our first drop-in live panel discussion and Q&A, where we invite different speakers, intellectuals, and experts, to join us in an informal discussion session to tackle some of today’s most difficult free speech questions. Guest Speakers: Dr Eric Kaufmann Professor of Politics, University of Birkbeck Dr Eric Kaufmann is Professor of Politics at the University of Birkbeck, affiliate at the Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology (CSPI), Manhattan Institute, Policy Exchange, and author of Whiteshift: Populism, Immigration and the Future of White Majorities Dr Dennis Hayes Emeritus Professor of Education, University of Derby, Director, Academics for Academic Freedom Dr Dennnis Hayes is an Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Derby, Director of Academics for Academic Freedom, and co-founder of East Midlands Salon Chair: Inaya Folarin Iman, Director, Free Speech Champions About Free Speech Champions (http://freespeechchampions.com/​​) The Free Speech Champions Project is an exciting new initiative to encourage free speech, particularly among the younger generation. We are inspired by the heroes of past free speech struggles, but our mission is to make the case for free speech in ways that can convince people today. The Free Speech Champions project is partnered with the Battle of Ideas charity and the Free Speech Union. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvipGUsoR2o